The present invention relates to the general domain of crossmembers used in vehicle construction, especially automotive vehicles, and more specifically to crossmembers which are mounted to the vehicle body, transversally to the drive direction, to provide means for mounting the dashboard of the vehicle as well as various accessories such as climate control unit, steering column, glove compartment, etc.
It is known that crossmembers generally comprise a crossbar made of steel tubing which extends between two mounting flanges securing the crossbar to the body of the vehicle, and which is usually also supported by a central strut attached to the floor of the vehicle.
Although known crossmembers generally perform satisfactorily, in particular because of their rigidity, they may nevertheless have some drawbacks.
In particular, their fabrication may require heavy, cumbersome and costly equipment, including, for instance, shear presses and welding machines, as well as stamping presses specially equipped with the necessary punches and dies.
In addition, the relatively heavy weight of known crossmembers complicates their manipulation during assembly and contributes to make the vehicle heavy, to the detriment of the vehicle's fuel consumption.